With the goal of getting back her playing rights on the LPGA Tour, Kelowna golfer Samantha Richdale got on the winning track this week, claiming the CN Canadian Tour’s first event, held at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen.

Richdale set a course record with a scorching 65 on Tuesday and then cruised to a 73 Wednesday to win the first of three events on the CN Canadian Tour, a three stop mini-tour where the events feature a $60,000 (CAD) purse, with $10,000 (CAD) awarded to the winner, along with an exemption into the 2013 CN Canadian Women’s Open.

That exemption to the Canadian Woman’s Open, to be held in Edmonton this year, was what Richdale was after.

“Its pretty awesome, it’s my main reason to come out and play in these CN events,” she said. “I’m really excited to play (the Canadian Woman’s Open). It’s in Edmonton and it will be fun to go back there.”

Making the win in Tsawwassen even sweeter was her caddie, as Richdale’s mom was on the bag for the two round Canadian Tour stop.

“It was awesome, my mom is good stuff,” said Richdale. “She does a good job of keeping me calm out there and we just had fun which was nice.”

After the win, Richdale zipped off to a Symetra Tour event and is teeing it up this weekend.

A top 10 finish on the Symetra Tour will get Richdale her card back and that’s motivating her game.

“Hopefully it fuels me to win out there,” she said. “My goal is to finish in the top five on that tour. So hopefully I have a good year and get my LPGA card back by the end of the year.”

Fellow Kelowna golfer Kyla Inaba also played in the CN Canadian Tour event at Beach Grove, finishing in a tie for 33rd after rounds of 77 and 76.

Eighty players started the tournament.

The next CN Canadian Women’s Tour stop takes place June 10-12 at Club de golf Cowansville in Cowansville, Que., while the final Tour event is scheduled for June 17-19 at Ambassador Golf Course in Windsor, Ont.